Lovely Beasts

A stunning debut picture book that encourages kids to look beyond first impressions by sharing unexpected details about seemingly scary wild animals like gorillas, rhinoceroses, and more. 

Spiders are creepy. Porcupines are scary. Bats are ugly. Or are they...

This captivating book invites you to learn more about awe-inspiring animals in the wild. After all, it’s best not to judge a beast until you understand its full, lovely life.

Includes backmatter with additional reading suggestions.

“"With its elegant layout, gorgeous illustrations, and thoughtful text, this book presents an interesting and focused subject in an exemplary manner." -- Kirkus Reviews (starred review) "A beautifully drawn, cleverly conceptualized resource that will do much for the reputations of some of our more maligned animals." -- Booklist "Gently urges readers to see beyond first assumptions and to celebrate the wonder of biodiversity." -- Publishers Weekly”

★ “With its elegant layout, gorgeous illustrations, and thoughtful text, this book presents an interesting and focused subject in an exemplary manner.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)“A beautifully drawn, cleverly conceptualized resource that will do much for the reputations of some of our more maligned animals.” — Booklist“Gently urges readers to see beyond first assumptions and to celebrate the wonder of biodiversity.” — Publishers Weekly

Kate Gardner is a children's book editor. A longtime animal lover, she has always had a dog and/or cat and currently helps at a local farm, caring for the hens and sheep. Kate lives in Somerville, MA and says hello to every animal she meets, regardless of their rep.  Heidi Smith is a freelance character designer and visual development artist who graduated from the character animation program at the California Institute of Arts in 2008. She was the character designer and conceptual designer for ParaNorman, and she won an Annie award for her designs in 2013. She also worked as a character designer for Henry Slick at Cinderbiter, The Jim Henson Company, and Warner Brothers. Heidi lives in Arizona. 

Spiders are creepy. Porcupines are scary. Bats are ugly. Or are they . . . ? This captivating book invites you to look beyond your first impressions at these awe-inspiring animals in the wild. After all, it's best not to judge a beast until you understand its full, lovely life.

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